Ask Calling Out to the Dark

[Roman Kallo]

TELOS IV​

Roman lit the candle with a flick of his lighter, breathing deep and centering himself.

It had been a frantic few days, but he pushed thoughts of Jace and Stennar to one side. It had been too long since he had connected properly with the Force, longer still since he had pushed at the edges of the Dark he was so desperate to know and understand. He wanted to use tonight to do both, and maybe learn the secrets of his new toy.

Roman set the candle down and gently picked up the small black box from the vault, carefully examining it in the firelight. He was not sure yet if it was a Sith artefact as Stennar claimed, but either way he knew he should not even be meddling with it.

But he wanted to. He wanted to know what he was missing. The Force had been his ticket to joining the Empire, but he was starting to feel at odds with the rules and regulations of the Knights. They kept the distance from the kind of power that interested him, the kind of power that could maybe help him belong, after so long of not quite fitting in. It was safe here, with a Moff keeping his secret and no one who knew where was. He would never have a better chance.

Tracing the runic markings on the rim, Roman isolated a lid and slowly slid it back. A blood red eye stared at him from inside, and he realised with a start that it was the stone of a a necklace. A crude pendant, not particularly ornate, resting on a cushion. Trust him to have picked out nothing more than a simple piece of jewellery.

He had read about holocrons and this was definitely not one of those. But maybe it still held some secrets. He had to try.

Closing his eyes and visualising the flame as a focus, Roman gripped the red pendant in his hand and channeled the Force into the stone. Inexperienced with such things, he spoke a simple 'hello' with his mind, hoping there was some knowledge in the thing to awaken.

------
​

Somewhere, many thousands of lightyears away, quite unbeknownst to the squire, a similar pendant stirred to life in answer.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

The sun was barely rising over the horizon across the galaxy. This meant that Azar Kressh was still fast asleep in his new chambers in the palace in the city of Ur on Korriban. Like most nights, he had sent his lover, Trodai, away after their activities for the evening, taking the room and the bed for himself. He was curled up against a massive body pillow intended to fulfill the space Karys would take up normally. Azar was extremely particular about who he fell asleep with, and no one had that luxury except for Karys.

There was a soft hum as one of the trinkets he brought with him pulsed with life. Azar ignored it at first, but then it came with a voice. The Pureblood bolted upright, the silken sheets falling away from his nude frame. His eyes narrowed as he used the Force to bring over the box of trinkets. It was filled with items he couldn’t crack on Umbara, so he had brought them to Korriban in search of answers.

Azar drew out an amulet he thought inconsequential, but now the gem swirled with life. There was no denying what he heard. The Pureblood hesitated at first - artifacts like these were often particularly nefarious and deceptively harmful. Curiosity got the better of him as he channeled the Force to connect with the amulet.

‘Name yourself,’ He all but commanded, his voice echoing across the astral planes of the Force an entire galaxy away.

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman almost dropped the thing when it spoke. Deep down, he had not expected a response.

The voice was strong and authoritative, hanging in the air as the red eye of the amulet blazed bright. It had to be long dead spirit, like those that often clung to old artefacts. He had woken it so easily?!

Roman's heart raced. What should he say? Should he answer at all? Of course he should, what was the point if he was going to chicken out now.

"Roman Kallo" he spoke back, trying to sound unafraid but only half managing it. "I am a..." he hesitated. A long dead Sith would not think much of the Imperial Knights. "...a learner".

He worked on steadying his breathing, knelt in the firelight as he felt the Force pouring through the thing. The connection was strong and the crimson eye almost seemed alive. Roman half wondered if it could see him, see the mixture of fear and awe on his face. But he barely knew what he was doing connecting, he daren't try to probe it further just yet.

"and your name?" he asked tentatively. He knew little weedy Sith didn't hang around like this spirit, he was probably talking to a being of great power in its time.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

The voice said learner, but Azar heard ‘amateur’. He stared at the object for a long time, deciding how he wanted to navigate this. He could have been wise and studious, but quite frankly he wanted to have some fun with this.

‘I have had many names through the sands of time. I am a spirit from the ancient realms of Moraband,’ Azar spoke ominously through the Force, ‘What knowledge do you seek?’

Meanwhile, Azar had to stifle a giggle, sitting there nude in a bed while posing as some great ancient spirit. Was this how the spirits of his ancestors felt when they were summoned through sorcery? Azar wondered if he could use this trinket to lure whoever this was out to Korriban for a terrible prank.

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

There was a long silence, which gave Roman far too much time to think. Anxiety rose in his chest. He must have said the wrong thing, asked a stupid question. Maybe someone more experienced would know the strange voice straight away.

Then the spirit spoke again and it seemed all was not lost. Moraband. This was stretching his knowledge now. Was that the same as Korriban or different? He thought it was the same place, wasn't it?

"The knowledge of the dark side" he answered tentatively, realising that was a poor answer. "How to use it properly, fully". He thought of how Kalique Demici had thrown a fireball in the caverns of Ando Prime, while he could barely light a campfire. "To control fire, become stronger".

He was sure the Sith were better at this stuff than Knights. Surely he could learn from a long dead spirit without much risk? The thing was dead after all. His training told him to flush the thing down the refresher, but he was still high from everything he had achieved recently by pushing himself and taking what was in front of him. He could take what he needed from this spirit and really make something of himself.

"What can you teach me, ancient spirit?" he asked, more confidently than before.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar considered this for a moment. He had to challenge this individual, test their commitment. There were plenty of Force users that blurted about commanding the Dark Side, most of them never had the courage and aptitude for it.

'You can control fire and become stronger without ever touching the Dark Side,' Azar’s dramatic ‘spirit’ voice echoed back, 'Put this artifact down and walk away. This is meant only for those that will be truly devoted and withstand all the punishments that come from walking down the path of power. I have no interest in teaching specific, silly tricks.'

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman cursed inwardly. Fuck. He knew what he had meant, but he had ended up sounding like a child.

"No" he said boldly, his anger at himself giving him courage. "I gave a poor example, but it is power I want. Power I will have". He squeezed the amulet hard in palm, as if the spirit might feel his strength. He needed to prove himself to this entity he realised, to show himself worthy of whatever it offered.

"I am not afraid of punishment" he said defiantly. "I am sworn to the Imperial Knights and yet I have taken a trove of Sith artefacts for myself, without their knowledge". It was true and he might as well go all in. He could not lose this opportunity. "I will walk any path, however hard.".

A spirit powerful enough to outlast death had to know the secrets he was desperate to learn. It also had to want a living pupil, or what was it even hanging around for. Roman would earn that place, whatever it took. "Tell me what I must do" he spoke into the red eye, trying to imagine how Sith thought "...Master".

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Imperial Knight?

Azar sat up straighter after that. This had a lot of potential, especially in light of current events happening in the galaxy. He pondered for a moment, biting back the urge to grin as the man spoke about stealing Sith artifacts and aiming to please. What a good little Knight. It was exactly the kind of impressionable mind Azar needed to carry out something big.

'The path is one which you can never turn,' He cautioned, 'For that you must show your commitment by striking a blow against those you are abandoning,' Azar said. He didn’t anticipate the other voice to actually follow through with anything, but he would have fun with this. He would make the man do something that would show up on Holonet. Just to see if he would.

Azar promised himself he would never take a second acolyte, but if this man truly delivered on such an impossible task, he would make an exception.

'Strike the Empire where it is weakest,' He commanded, 'Make a statement bold enough to reverberate across the galaxy. Only then will I consider you truly worthy.'

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman considered, brown eyes darting around the dancing shadows of the dimly lit room. Strike a blow against the Empire?

He did not know what task he had imagined, some penance or pilgrimage perhaps, or some ritual of importance to the spirit. But to attack his own people, here, now? He had not realised this being would care about such things, or demand them.

But that hardly mattered now. The red eye was still glowing in his palm. All that mattered was would he do it? Could he do it?

The Empire had fed and clothed him, giving him a home and a chance to learn. It had been enough, more than enough, for a long while.

But that food no longer sated him. The armour weighed heavy his shoulders. The home was not a family and the learning was too slow. When he looked ahead, he saw little that excited him. Knighthood would bring only more rules and obligations, all seemingly designed to make him a tool of military men, lesser men. Most could not even match his fledgling powers.

He wanted the freedom to do as he pleased, like Jace and others he had met in his time. Freedom for him would only come from raw power and skill, not long service and station; those had not saved Xylan when the higher ups moved against him.

Clarity began to descend and Roman slipped a cigarra from his pocket, lighting it in the candle and putting it to his lips. The spirit may not hold up its end, but in a way it did not matter. He had made a decision.

"Then I will show that commitment" he said, turning his mind to how it could be done. "Keep watching. Reverberate is a big word, Master" he blew a wisp of smoke "but I can do big".

He looped the crimson amulet over his head so that it hung at his neck. It would be hidden enough beneath his armor and he guessed he would need to keep it close to commune with the spirit again.

The squire reached for his datapad with his free hand, having turned the thing off days ago. He probably had not missed much.

@Sreeya